Shelly Bonnah Ma

Profiles of Resistance: a Response-based Approach with Youth in Care Shelly Bonnah Ma

This book invites readers to challenge the commonsocial and professional discourse that pathologizeschildren within the foster care system. The profoundloss and other forms of adversity that exist whenchildren are separated from their families and placedinto a system of professional caregivers can beunderstood as responses and resistance to feelings ofpowerlessness and betrayal. The behavioural approachthat is commonly applied to the resistant stance of achild becomes insufficient and potentially harmful inits denial of recognizing both the presence of griefand behaviours that can alternatively be viewed asunderstandable responses to deeply troublingcircumstances. A response-based approach to thesechildren is holistic in providing both young people,and those who care for them, with assistance toconsider their responses as physical, emotional,mental, spiritual and relational resistance toadversity. This book introduces a philosophicalorientation to youth in care while additionallyproviding an alternative to diagnostic andpathology-oriented practices.